Renault

Louis Renault built his first car in 1897. It featured a major innovation that became the basis of Renault's fortune - the first 'direct drive' gearbox. Renault believed that demonstrating his car's performance would increase sales. On Christmas Eve in 1898, he bet that he could drive his machine up the steep grade of the Rue Lepic in Montmartre. He won the bet and landed 12 orders. If a solo climb up a steep Paris street could get his business started, racing victories would ensure its future. By 1902, Renault cars had won several city-to-city races, and Renault became a major manufacturer. From 1946 to 1961, Renault manufactured the diminutive rear-engined 4CV, and the racing versions took many class wins. Another small car that made a big hit was the Renault 5, produced from 1972 to 1984. With 180 to 350 horsepower, the mid-engine R5 Turbo rally version was an impressive performer. Renault has become a major force in rallying, road racing, and Formula One, introducing turbocharged F1 engines in 1977, and building normally aspirated engines for the Williams F1 team in the 1990s. Renault Sport has produced performance variants, including the outrageous 150-mph Sport Clio V6 - a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive version with a Renault 3-liter V6 behind the front seats.

1973 Renault Alpine A110 1600S

Previous to 1973, Alpine was its own make, purveyed by Jean Redele. Redele had achieved notable success racing Renault 4CVs including class wins at the Mille Miglia and the Coupe Des Alpes. Redele formed the Societe Anonyme des Automobiles Alpine in 1954 and the Alpine was born. Alpine always worked closely with Renault and always utilized Renault mechanicals, so the assimilation of the two was a natural progression. The Alpine scored international recognition as it took several wins throughout Europe in the first international rally championship and would later win the first World Rally Championship. Set aside the Alpine's astounding championship winning performance, and you still have a sleek mid-engine Berlinetta with flowing body lines that demand appreciation.

1980 Renault 5 Turbo

The 5 Turbo was a shock to the world when it debuted as Renault’s challenge to the exotic rally machinery fielded by Lancia. Taking a different tack entirely from the Ferrari-powered, wild-looking Stratos, Renault looked through its stable of cars and picked out one of the smallest and least powerful, the 5 supermini. A miniature skunkworks team of Renault-Alpine engineers oversaw the transformation from ultra-compact urban car to a mid-engined, box-flared rally monster. Those flares (and other external styling clues) were the work of Marcello Gandini, better known for his masterpiece, the Lamborghini Countach LP400. Sitting back where the passenger seats used to be is a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder with nearly double its original output — 155 horsepower in street trim, and far more on the rally courses of Europe. Considering its humble roots, the little Renault did very well, at least until Audi’s Quattro burst onto the scene and made everything else virtually obsolete. Still, there’s no denying the cheeky charm of the Renault 5 Turbo, which is a rewarding driver and a reminder of how clever engineering can solve complex problems.

1993 Renault Clio Williams

Among hot hatches, the Renault Clio Williams holds accreditation by many motor journalists as one of the very best ever built. To accommodate homologation requirements, 2,500 Clio Williams needed to be produced. They were so popular 1,300 more were built and quickly sold out. More is better when it comes to the availability of this little hot hatch and Renault followed with the Williams 2 and 3 getting more than 12,000 models on the road before production finally ceased. Despite these numbers, finding an original street version is a rare thing, since many were used to replace damaged rally cars and others were broken for parts to keep rally versions in competition. The punch this tike packs is from a 2.0-liter straight four, stuffed under the diminutive bonnet with a bespoke four-into-one manifold, a stroked crank and other internal goodies. The Clio Williams is a car that will get a lot of looks from those who know it, and those who don’t will snap their necks when they hear it buzz past them.

2003 Renault Sport Clio V6

Renault virtually invented the mid-engined hatchback layout way back in 1980 with the Renault 5 Turbo, ripping out the rear seats and replacing it with a turbocharged engine and rear-wheel drive. The 5’s successor, the Clio, takes the formula to the next step by installing a torque-happy 3-liter V6 pulled from the large Laguna sedan. It’s not hard to see how a tiny car, with a very large engine in the middle, would be terribly quick, but it’s less easy to see how such a mash-up might work together. In summary, very well. The short wheelbase, good weight distribution, and engineering help courtesy of Tom Walkinshaw Racing, the Clio V6 manages to be very responsive and very quick. The car’s small faults—a gargantuan turning radius, for one, or the limited cargo capacity due to the massive engine where the groceries normally go—are inconsequential on the track, so in that respect the car is wonderful for track-day superstars. Whether it’s the ability of the Clio V6 to hunker down and power through turns, or simply the soundtrack provided by a sweet V6 behind your head, the Clio V6 is a satisfying performer.

2010 Renault Megane RS 250

Quintessentially French, the Renault Megane RS250 combines a serious helping of Renaultsport’s tuning expertise with the already stylish Megane. The blacked-out grille is the first clue this is not a run-of-the-mill Renault, and if you weren’t convinced right away you could peer at the red-painted brake calipers or the bright-yellow faced tachometer for further confirmation. A twin-scroll turbocharger boosts output to a remarkable 250 horsepower, considering that the engine is only 2 liters. So it’s perhaps no surprise that this fast Megane gets out of its own way with an emphatic bark from the center-exit sport exhaust. The RS250’s stiffened sport suspension also hunches the hatch down low over larger alloy wheels, improving the stance and the cornering at the same time. That’s not just lip service—the RS250 has some serious moves, helped in part by a limited-slip differential and an electrically assisted variable power steering system to keep the front wheels from churning under the ample torque.

2013 Renault Clio RS 200

You want a snappy hot hatch with an extra pair of doors to throw around? Renault has got you covered in the Clio RS 200. The RS 200 features ample torque way down low from a quickly spooling turbo and just enough stiffness to make any apex look inviting. That, and a whole lot of distinctive Renault lines, come together in this alluring five-door. Flared fenders, vivacious curves, and nearly 200 bhp – hence the “200” in “RS 200” – are packaged neatly and raring to go. This car may be designed to run about town, but what it really wants to do is straighten out any curve it encounters.